Saturday, 1 August 2015

Missenyi. Three priests and a nun died today and 13 others passengers were injured after their vehicle collided head on with a bus at Bugorola Village in Missenyi District, Kagera Region.

A Toyota Landcruiser ferrying the priests was on its way to a thanksgiving mass at Kimiza Village in Karagwe District where their colleague was consecrated as a priest.

The vehicle collided head on with a bus christened Sabuni Express, which was on its way from Karagwe to Mwanza via Bukoba town. Pastor Erasto Nakure, who was in the fateful vehicle, identified the priests who died in the accident as Onesmo Bahabwa, Michael Mwelinde and Frolian Tuombe, who was the driver of the vehicle. He also identified the nun Margaret Kadebe.

Sunday, 14 June 2015

Singida. At least six people died and 44 others were seriously injured in two different accidents in Singida Region yesterday.

Regional Police Commander Thobias Sedoyeka, said in the first incident, a bus called Nice Line Coach, which was heading to Mwanza from Dar es Salaam was involved in an accident at Manga Village, about 11 kilometres from Singida town.

According to an eye witness who was travelling on the bus, Mr Ron Nairo, the accident occurred at around 8pm.

He claimed that after passing the weighbridge, the driver started driving fast claiming he was trying to reach the town before sunset because he had eye complications. “After leaving the weighbridge the bus was in high speed. I was seated at the back of the driver’s seat,” he said.

Thursday, 28 May 2015

Construction of the highly anticipated Mwanza International Airport estimated to cost 105bn/- will yet to be realised.

The snug in the project was raised yesterday in the House during the question and answer session, when Transport Minister Samuel Sitta was responding to a question by Maria Hewa, Special Seat MP (CCM).
The MP wanted to know when the Mwanza airport and related infrastructure would be renovated to improve service delivery.

Citing that the airport would serve as the transport hub for the Great Lakes Region and other international flights from across the world, Sitta said; "the expansion project will cost the government 105b/- and the government is working hard to make sure the funds are available for the project.”

“Despite the fact that we are facing shortage of funds, the government had already spent about 12.5b/-in the project,” he added.

According to him, the construction work is being carried out by China based Beijing Construction Engineering Group. He detailed that the company is constructing a new passengers' lounge with the capacity of hosting two million passengers per annum when completed.

The bus involved in the accident, named ‘Unique Express,’ was heading to Tabora from Mwanza. It collided head-on with a ‘Coca Cola’ lorry, which was coming from Tinde heading to Shinyanga.

Speaking with reporters at the scene of accident, Shinyanga Regional Police Commander Justus Kamugisha, said the bus driver was in high speed and that he lost control and hit the lorry, which was also in the middle of the road.

Wednesday, 15 April 2015

Dar es Salaam. At least 970 people died and over 2,470 others injured in road accidents in the past four months, police said.

Traffic Police Commander Mohamed Mpinga told journalists here yesterday that 273 died in January alone and 876 others were injured in road accidents.

He explained that 238 died in the accidents in February and 726 others were injured.

“It is saddening that between March 11 and April 12 some 103 people died in road accidents and 138 others were injured.”

He said to a large extent speeding was the main source of accidents followed by other factors such as poor infrastructure, sharp corners and sliding.

Mr Mpinga is planning to meet Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority (Sumatra) officials to work out new strategies to control speed.
“There is need for Sumatra to review the schedule for buses going upcountry,” he said.

He said it would be better to spend two days for long routes like that from Dar es Salaam to Mwanza to reduce road accidents.

Monday, 13 April 2015

Mwanza. Hundreds of passengers yesterday endured hours of agony and frustration after bus drivers went on strike to demand a reverse of an order to redo driving training and fair employment contracts.

Some drivers separately told The Citizen on Saturday that a directive by the Traffic Police Commander Mohamed Mpinga to re-do the driving course and limit speed or face two weeks in jail or have their licences revoked was draconian.

The strike was apparent at the main bus stands of Nyegezi and Buzuruga where hundreds of passengers desperately sought for alternatives to reach their destinations in vein.

This paper visited the two stands as early as 6am and witnessed empty buses parked.

“We don’t know what to do. We really suffer. We are asking
responsible authorities to find ways of ending this strike soon,” a
stranded passenger, Mr Joseph Wambura, said.

Victor Gervas who is employed by Bunda Express
said they resorted to a strike in protest of decision by bus owners to
heed to new directives by head of traffic police.

With the new directive, drivers are required to
undergo a two-week driving course at Sh560,000 every three months. The
drivers there was no need to do so because they have already undergone
the same course after paying Sh200,000.

Monday, 6 April 2015

Dar es Salaam. More than 300 passengers planning to travel up-country got stranded yesterday at Ubungo Bus Terminal after the buses they were to travel with arrived late in the city.

The delay resulted from implementation by traffic police of the road rule that wants drivers not to surpass the 80-kilometre per hour speed limit.

Police imposed the regulation as one of the measures to try and reduce road accidents that have been claiming tens of lives of passengers as well as causing huge property losses.

More than 50 buses travelling from Mwanza, Kigoma, Bukoba, Tabora, Kahama and other regions had to stop when it got 10pm as they are not allowed to travel during the night for security reasons. This means they arrived late in the city.

As of yesterday, many passengers were in dilemma at Ubungo as they were not aware of the traffic regulation.